The Dragons in Portland : A Royal Refuge
by Andysaurus
Summary: The Dragons decide to provide Diana with a safe haven, at least from Victor. But what about the ex Dark One?
1. An unexpected visitor

Kelly Burkhardt opened the door of her motel room with some trepidation. Outside was a biker in black one piece racing Leathers with stylised gold dragon decoration. He looked about 21, attractive, and sinister with jet black short cropped hair growing in a peak, short black tash and beard, with contrasting blue eyes. There was something of a Skalenzahne or a Lausenschlange about him yet she could almost sense horns coming out of his head, like a Damonfeuer, but that didn't seem or feel right. Oddly, Diana began to make cheerful noises and things began to move about in a rather casual way. Not something that Diana would do if worried.

"Well" snapped Kelly. Yet she felt unnaturally calm.  
"I come bearing news. Adelind thought Victor had her baby, so now she's in Victor's dungeon. It's only a matter of time before Victor finds a way, conventional or psychic, to find the baby. You need to go somewhere where you are hidden, or protected"  
Kelly was stunned. Whoever he was, he seemed to know far too much, impossibly much, "Like where?"  
"Well, .. you could go to the UK. The Sidhe might be willing to protect you as they have no love for the Verat"  
Kelly had heard rumours of the Sidhe. According to tall tales that she had heard from the Resistance, they were Irish supernatural beings, non Wesen like the Musai or La Llorona. The Resistance had also talked about them being the reason that Britain was almost Verat and therefore Royal free apart from enclaves in London. However, "And how the hell do I get there without being noticed?"  
"Well, if you want to go in under the radar maybe you could use Hook's ship"  
"What the hell and where?"  
"It's hidden, in a place where no one can enter, unless they have ... certain ... abilities"  
"Like what abilities?"  
"Like teleportation. What you humans, Wesen and Grims included, in your ignorance call magic. The choice is yours, it's the only place in North America that we know of where you would be reasonably safe, both without and within. Victor would need some really heavy ... talent, to get to you and the baby"  
Kelly was stupefied. Us humans. Teleportation. This was just weird, she needed a lot more information, a lot more, "So how do I get there?".  
"If you decide to go, first go to Boston, in Massachusetts. We will contact you again there"  
"So that's it?"  
"Sure, why not, although ...", he opened his waist pouch and took out some photos which he gave to her. "These are not Wesen, think enhanced human, maybe. This guy is real danger. Don't let the baby anywhere near him. He can tap her powers, then you are toast. These seem to be working with him, for now". He indicated a photo of a dark skinned woman, "She likes water animals, she can ... influence them". Then he pointed to the photo of a woman in an expensive fur coat, "There are standing animal cruelty charges against this fur fetishist, she eats puppies for dinner. Not kidding", and then he pointed to another woman "That's our mom, she has ... behavioural problems. She may have our sisters in training"

Then he left.

Kelly felt freaked out.

There was no way that she could realise that Rex had had her in a powerful coercive mind grip that had suppressed her aggression.

Diana started to cry.


	2. Onward To Storybrooke

A month later and Kelly was in a cheap outer Boston motel. The encounter with Rex had been so worrying that she had decided to contact Nick. In due course he had phoned back and confirmed that Captain Renard had told him that Meisner had learned that Adelind had gone to Vienna, then disappeared. Whoever had contacted Kelly could obviously find her again, and if they could then so might Victor. That had settled it.

Her phone rang. The voice was almost the same as the biker guy's, almost East Coast American but ... , "You met my brother back in Denver, a month ago. The place you are going to is in Maine, two hours drive away from Boston. I'll be with you in two, make it three hours. You follow my bike. Always stay behind me, stop when I stop. Understand?".  
"No. I need more information" snapped the exasperated Kelly.  
"There is no more useful information. The place is Storybrooke, its hidden, not on the map .. because its protected by ... a booby trap. Ok?".  
"No but ok", Kelly realised that she was not going to learn anything more.

She needed to make sure that her gun and ammo were ok.

Trian arrived in Boston just over two hours later. He was not feeling too happy about the surprise appearance of The Sea Witch and Cruella De Vil in Storybrook. Something nasty was cooking. He had felt a powerful malign presence in Storybrook before something happened at The Town Line, twice. Then Dad had phoned him with news that something was afoot; The Dark One had vanished off the psychic radar. And just how had the Fairies escaped from the Sorcerers hat ? It had been decided to tell Kelly as little as possible.

By the time Trian had fed the bike and relieved himself, three hours had passed before he had driven up to Kelly's motel room. Kelly recognised the style of Trian's bike leathers, his bike was similarly marked up. He waved at her through the window then rode to her truck. Kelly soon arrived with Diana and started up.


	3. The Barrier

The two hours drive to the Storybrooke boundary was uneventful, although it was now getting late. Trian had not wanted to stop at the only Diner on the way even though he knew that the baby would doubtless be needing a nappy change or feed or whatever. Trian stopped his bike on the verge and waved Kelly to stop in the road. Trian got off and raised the front of his helmet, revealing a face like his brother Rex but blond and shaven, at least Kelly thought it was shaven, unless he was younger. She would never guess that despite their differing, current, appearances, Trian, Rex and Leo were identical triplets with some very weird emotionally programmable hair genetics.

"Wait here until I make a hole in the barrier, then go through" Trian shouted. Kelly was baffled. All she could see was the sign for Storybrooke. She checked that her gun was not on its safety.

Trian faced the barrier, rased his arms and concentrated. Moving forward he touched the force barrier and could now sense it and its force energy. He focused his mind on the barrier. This was not the original barrier erected to keep out Pan's agents, but a Dragon modification of The Ice Queen's residual barrier. Apart from Dragons, it was intended like the original barrier to keep people, and anything else, out. The Storybrooke magic well was concealing quite a bit of magical garbage now.

Kelly now saw a curtain of shimmering light across the road. Trian willed a doorway to appear. Kelly now saw a hole appear. Trian turned, and in a rather wooden manner waved her to drive through. Keeping the entry temporarily open was a strain, even though energy manipulation, like all elemental magic, was easy for Dragonlords. However, he was only a hatchling.

Once Kelly, with some anxiety, had driven through, Trian wheeled his bike through the opening, parked it and turned to face the barrier. He relaxed his hold over the barrier gradually, not wanting the opening to close with an EMP ripple that could alert all and sundry, never mind how many transistors and processors it might blow. Getting on his bike he turned the ignition key, and just for the hell of it commanded the ignition to start rather than cranking the engine with his foot. Kelly had been watching and was baffled by how he had started up the bike.

Trian dropped his helmet and then drove up to Kelly, "It's best that you go your own way, for now. Drive to the centre of town and go to Granny's Diner. The locals will be shocked that you got past the barrier but will try to cover it up. Make up any excuse that you like about how you got here. There are no Wesen here, but there is a Werewolfess, not the same thing, she's quite friendly". "You do not behave like a Grimm here", that was spoken with some emphasis. He continued, "You can get a room at Granny's B and B. There's a fake order of Nuns in town. Find them. Tell Mother Superior why you need protection. Say that you need a Blood Magic Shield for the baby, and Psychic shields for you both. Got it?"  
"Yes, Granny's, Nuns, Blood and Psi shields" whatever they were, "What about the boat?"  
"Problem, looks like Hook's gone and lost it. Don't worry".  
"Why are you helping us?"  
"You don't need to know, and it's better not to know. Oh, the town librarian, Belle, can be trusted. As a bookworm she will be real interested about Royals, Wesen and Grimms. But she has problems of her own. The guy in the photo is her slung out of town husband, The Dark One"

They had no reason to think that The Dark One knew about the baby, but Rex had given Kelly the photo's just in case. It would also provide Kelly with a way to elicit help in Storybrooke.

Then Trian drove away, fast.


	4. Welcoming Committees

Trian drove away and stopped inside the nearby woodland as soon as he felt safe. Ever since they had arrived at the boundary he had felt uneasy; well that might have been due to circumstances as working magic outside Storybrooke was not easy. But he had continued to feel uneasy once the barrier was closed and as he had no sense of any magical forces being present the conclusion was obvious, it was a deep psi warning; maybe someone was watching. Most likely it was a boundary patrol, even though the barrier regenerated by Bell and Emma after The Dark One had been ejected, had rendered it unnecessary. Checking that there seemed to be no-one around he concentrated and unlocked his farsense. Probing outwards he soon detected the reason for his unease - Robin The Hood's Band of Merry Misfits, minus Robin The Hood. They were even spying on him at the moment. Well, they were harmless. But he might have to go invisible before he made his way to their old home by the lake where they had spent their first 8 years in this world.

The instant that she had come through the barrier, Kelly felt that her senses had sharpened, even though they hadn't. It was a weird feeling. And Diana seemed different too, almost as if she were listening to something. At least it was taking Diana's attention away from her natural needs. Fortunately Kelly had no trouble in finding Granny's Diner. She sensed shock when she entered, though every one made a good job of covering it up. She asked the bimbo at the counter where she could tend to Diana's needs. The bimbo seemed friendly and helpful, and inquisitive. Why did she seem to sense that the girl was like a Blutbad, there was no woging! Well the mystery man had said that there was a friendly werewolfess. Kelly merely said that she had had a long drive from Boston and needed a place to stay before they could hire Hook's ship to get her to the UK. One could hear a pin drop.


	5. A rather distraut Fairy

It had soon emerged that Hook's ship was definitely unavailable for hire, exactly why Kelly was unable to determine. Everyone was a fount of creative excuses whenever she wanted to know anything significant about the town, like why it wasn't on the map. Fortunately the old lady, Granny, was obliging about a room and about where Kelly could find the nuns. So the next morning Kelly had set out to find them. And she could sense that everyone was, discretely, watching.

The nuns lived on the edge of town. Kelly went into the Church and found them all in a group. Their leader, a short, slim, dark woman, said "I'm sorry, we are a bit busy just now"

Kelly had a feeling that they had been discussing her. Using the direct approach she retorted "I need to see The Mother Superior, urgently. Ok, I know that there is something going on here, well I don't care what it is just as long as I get the protection for Diana that I need. She needs a Blood Magic Shield and we both need Psychic Shields"

The woman looked aghast and seemed to find it hard to say, "Why do you think that we know of such things?"

Kelly sensed that the nun was prevaricating and replied with a truth and a partial bluff "That barrier about the town, I know of some very unpleasant, and powerful, people who would like to know how that was done. And the girl serving at Granny's Diner, she may not be a Blutbad, but she's no human either. Well?" On impulse Kelly got out the photographs and handed them over, "I was told that this creep is after Diana and the other's are his accomplices. Well?" A soon as the nun saw the photos Diana started crying and the entire building began to rumble. Instead of being alarmed, the other nun's all looked at Diana intently.

The nun looked horrified "Why would The Dark One be after your child?" In fact The Blue Fairy could already sense why.

"I'm not her mother, I'm her protector. I was only told that he could tap Diana's powers. I can kill him. It's not him that I'm worried about, it's Prince Victor"

The nun frowned, "And is this Prince Victor a relative of the child?"

"A great uncle or something ... what's that got to do with it?" Kelly had hit home and decided to elaborate "I was told that Victor has got her mother in his dungeon. She's a Hexenbiest, a Witch. Either Victor can use her to get to Diana, or get other Wesen to find where we are. Then The Verat, the Royal killers, will be sent in. I was told that even that barrier of yours might not keep them out. If we can get to Britain The Sidhe might hide us"

"Who told you this?", the Blue Fairy was worried. She had heard about the Sidhe, an assortment of Fey folk, and it wasn't always complementary.

"I don't know who they are ... but, a woman in one of the photo's is their mother" Kelly pointed to the blond's photo.

The Blue Fairy felt somewhat relieved, "Maleficent, ah, I know who you are talking about. They would know, about such things. They let you through the barrier?" From her one encounter in Malificent's fortress nearly 30 years ago, she had sensed that Dragon Lords were of the Fey, magical beings like Mermaids, and had "influence"

"One of them did, so?"

"We will do what we can. The baby has great power. But it will not be easy. Others must help us, we may need certain things" The Blue Fairy realised that they might need Regina to help with the Blood magic and Belle to research psi magic. They might also need help from the baby Dragon Lord who had approached her about locating and freeing Malificent months after the curse was broken. She continued "And you must tell me everything, about everything. I very much doubt that you could harm The Dark One, only the child may have that kind of power unless you are far more than you appear to be"

"Ok, but I need to know about any dangers here" the perplexed Kelly replied.

Diana stooped crying and the trembling stopped.


	6. Bad News

Two days later The Blue Fairy paid Trian a visit. She was not in the best of moods as it had taken her quite some time to locate their old semi-gothic mansion by the lake. The mansion was mostly in stone and superficially looked like Prince Victor's heap, however there were brick extensions housing the laboratories, machine shop, self watering conservatory and greenhouses, and stabling for the bikes. Dragon's didn't mind horses (though not to eat), but not to ride; too much bouncing up and down. In the basement there was the secret stuff, and the not so secret deluxe dungeon and "fun" torture chamber, every fashion accessory for the Demented Tyrant in Training.

The Blue Fairy had had to locate Trian via his magic aura, which had been quite difficult even though he was not cloaking; self cloaking was draining for the inexperienced. As their mansion and its laboratories were psi screened she had been forced to search blindly in the woods for him, even though there was a road connection to Storybrooke. Her news was not good. It was going to take some time to obtain everything, and they would need Regina's help. Not a prospect that The Blue Fairy was looking forward to. She wanted Trian, and Kelly, to approach Regina. In fact, Trian had been wondering if lying low was Kelly's best option as he had just received a disturbing scrying from Rex over the Internet; Adelind was loose. And then there was The Dark One being back in Storybrook. Fortunately it meant that he would not need to go after the baby, however he would have to be watched until His plans were revealed. A good thing that trained Dragons Lords could go invisible and that, for all his power, The Dark One had no psi abilities. Still, he had dug out the palantier from the basement.

After The Blue Fairy had gone, Trian burned that and two other scrying data packets onto separate DVD's and went down to the "off limits" basement laboratory. Opening a concealed storage room he rummaged around until he found two old relics, a Dragon Bracer of Motion and a Dragon Bracer of Instant Movement. Casting a transformation spell to convert the bracers into aesthetic wrist cuffs, he then practised with the Bracer of Instant Movement. Although it was intended to teleport objects to and from the hand of the wearer, it could be used for self teleportation if there was sufficient magic and one had memorised suitable destination points. Trian wanted it as a precaution, Unlike Regina and other powerful magic users, most Dragons could not teleport themselves or objects without a talisman fashioned to hold a teleportation engram so it was good insurance. Only Dad was evolved enough to manage self teleportation unaided, unless he had a bad night or after dinner indigestion. There were dual bracers somewhere, but Trian felt wary about using them, Dad had said that multiple enchantments could be tricky. Now, about seeing The Evil Mayor. Maybe he should wear a new suit? How about that luminous Tron suit they'd bought off the Internet? It would make him look more bulky and he'd memorised it's physical chemical pattern, and it could be reinforced to biker standards. Trian "changed" then went to find Kelly.


	7. The Queen is Not amused

Regina's temp looked down her nose at Trian, Kelly and Diana "Do you have an appointment?". She was not overly impressed by Trian's Tron outfit. Anybody would think that he had fallen through a portal.  
"We give people appointments" Trian snapped back. A brilliant bolt of electricity arced from his hand and gave her a static charge. She would have to visit the hair dresser again.

Regina was deep in conversation and was not amused when Trian and party marched into her office. Trian sat down in his most casual style and eyed up the office while Regina composed her explosion.  
"And you are?" Regina knew that these were the people who had somehow got into Storybrooke and had been asking about Hook's ship.  
"Forgotten us Deere?" replied Trian in a caricature of The Dark One.  
"Have we met somewhere?" Regina replied in a commanding voice. She was baffled.  
"Well, we were in nappies at the time when you visited our play school"  
"And when was this?" !  
"Then nineteen years ago Dad gave you the finger and we left town. Remember?"

Regina did remember. The Environmental Chemist who she had continual arguments with, mainly over fees, and who had then revealed that his memory was not subject to The Dark Curse. She had not enjoyed that revelation.  
"What do you want?"  
"Protection for this lady and the baby she is protecting, from a couple of big and very bad baby snatchers"  
"Surely the police are the people to provide protection"  
"Not from Evil Great Uncle or Something Crown Prince Victor von Shitus" replied Trian, taking out the DVD's and holding up and tensing one arm.

Trian concentrated and teleported Regina's entire TV system onto his hand, and by using the Bracer of Motion, caused it float in mid air. Exerting his electrokinetic ability, Trian powered up the TV system. Telekinetically inserting a CD, the astounded Regina could then see and hear Prince Victor threatening Captain Renard (and his mother). It wasn't exactly TV quality, but Regina recognised that this was from a scrying vision, as if one were using a viewing crystal or a magic viewing mirror. Now that was impressive, though everything else wasn't. How had they, whoever they were, enchanted a DVD with a vision. Enchanting was not for the amateur. Creating that bracelet for the mermaid had been taxing enough.

"That's evil Prince Victor zu Shitus threatening his cousin, Diana's dad, Captain Renard of the Portland PD".  
"So, surely the police are the people to provide protection"

"It's a pity Diana's mother isn't here. She's in Victors dungeon at the moment. She's a Hexenbiest and the dungeon is Hexenbiest proof. Know what a Hexenbiest is?"  
"No, so what!"  
"Adelind can do what you can do, sort of, outside Storybrooke. See ..."

Trian telekinetically inserted the next DVD. Adelind and Juliette in a hexenbiest cat fight. Regina was impressed, and uneasy. Kelly was horrified and gasped. Trian turned to her and said "Adelind stripped Nick of his second sight. Captain Renard's mother gave Juliette the means to restore Nick's power, but magic always comes with a price, a rather unforeseen one"  
Kelly gasped "Nicky needs me"  
"No, they are working things out"  
Trian turned back to Regina "There are those who use magic, YOU, and those who have magic, US, Adelind. Victor and the other Royal Houses can get their claws on others besides Adelind who have magic and will do his evil work. Once they get their hands on Diana they will corrupt her, then big trouble"

"But not for us" Regina confidently replied. Actually she was not that confident.

"Ah, Deere, you forget, the second baby snatcher, and his camp followers". With gestures worthy of The Dark One, Trian inserted the third DVD. Regina watched horrified as Rumple talked to Ursulla about getting their happy endings. Trian continued "The other camp followers are Cruella De Vil, the puppy eater, and Maleficent. Checked under the Clock Tower lately Deere? And oh, Maleficent's daughters are hitching a ride into Storybrooke"  
"Daughters!"  
"Yep, three hellions straight out of Saint Trinians, all leather, sex and perversion. And they have accessed some magic tricks and sources that you don't know about, and they know all about Diana. Getting through that flimsy town barrier is only a matter of time, despite our reinforcement"

Regina felt rather faint.

Trian "dropped" the TV system, got up, stretched and said "Diana needs hiding from Victor with a Blood Magic Shield. Both need psychic shields. The fairies can do it but they need your help. Go to it"

With Regina now flabbergasted by his impudence, Trian headed to the garden doors, willed them open, and transformed. It was good to stretch his wings. Maybe he would fly down main street and terrify the yokels. Hey, he could use that minor resize transformation spell Dad had taught them. Squeeze through the door and get dinner at Granny's? That would be a great wheeze.

Regina felt a migraine coming on.


	8. A big Miscalculation to correct

As Trian flew down towards main street and his intended scare cum freakout at Granny's, he felt a "cold" sensation come over him. He knew instinctively that there was a hostile energy field in operation. Landing on a roof he generated the chameleon effect to blend in with the roof and studied the road below. Every time he looked at the road he felt odd, his eyes were aching as if he had a focusing problem. Indeed, it was reminicent of looking at a Hexenbeist at work. So that was it, there was something trying to hide in plain sight. He just had to concentrate and use The Second Sight.

A couple of minuets later and Trian finally found The Dark One. He was shocked. The Dark One, here already ! So what else had they overlooked?

Some careful spying and scrying soon revealed the truth. Ursula and Cruella had slipped into town the day before. Trian consulted with The Blue Fairy who realised that they must somehow have opened a way in for The Dark One. Trian also learned that the Fairies had been trapped until a week ago in The Sorcerer's Hat. So how had they got out? Henry finding out on the Internet! A likely story. Things were not right.

Some more scrying and "listening at keyholes" and Trian realised that The Dark One was setting up a trap for The Dynamic Duo, to resurrect Mom. Well that wasn't going to work, they had resurrected her with The Water of Lake Nostos / The Wishing Well and some blood over a year before when Henry was in Neverland. Which also meant that Mom and their sisters were not coming to Storybrook. Trian phoned Dad with the news. A hurried decision was then made to dupe all parties concerned. Rex, with his coercive abilities could have fun imitating Mom.


End file.
